Mechanical orchestra



July 117, 1923.

G. w. HALL MECHANICAL ORCHESTRA Filed June 18, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 17, 1923.

G. W. HALL MECHANICAL ORCHESTRA Filed June 18, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented duly l7, i923.

ILEECHANICAL ORCHESTRA.

Application filed .Tune 18,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l. Gnonon WILLIAM HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka. in the county oi. Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Mechanical Urchestra, of which the "following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mechanical orchestra for use in connection with phono graphs, one of its objects being to provide a series of figures representing instrument players and which figures are provided with means whereby portions of them will be set into motion by the rotation of therecord, thus to simulate the playing of the instruments reproduced by the record.

Another object is to provide a structure of this character which can be coupled readily to the mechanism or" the phonograph and which. when in operation, will afl'ord considerable amusement.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds. the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of the complete orchestra, the parts being shown connected to a phonograph.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the operating parts combined with one of the units. 7 i

Figure 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of another unit of the orchestra.

Figure 4 is a plan viewof a portion of another unit.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the structure shown in Figure a.

Figure 6 is an elevation of another unit.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the housing of a phonograph, the same being provided with the usual rotatable table 2 for supporting a record. The phonograph mechanism is formed with a rotating spindle 3 adapted to be driven in any suitable manner, as by means of pulley and belt mechanism 3 driven by 1921. Serial n0. err-2,734.

the spindle 2 of the table of the phonograph. The spindle 3 is detachably engaged by the lower end of the main shaft 4 of the apparatus constituting the present invention. This shaft is journaled in and extends downwardly from a platform 5 adapted to be supported over the table 2 by any suitable means. For example the side and back walls of the case of the phonograph can be extended upwardly as shown at 6 and the platform 5 secured therebetween so as to constitute the door of an upper compartment 7. ltlounted at suitable points on the platform 5 are representations of chairs 8 having tubular supports or pedestals 9. The representation of a piano has been indicated at. 11.

Secured on each of the chairs 8 is a figure 10 simulating one of the performers in the mechanical orchestra. In the present instance five of these figures have been used, each figure being mounted on one of the chairs 8. In the structure shown the figures provided represent. a pianist, a violinist. a 3

drummer, a trombone player, and a cello player. As shown particularly in Figure 2 a guide tube 12 extends into the figure 10 and through the platform 5 while extend ing from the mouth of the figure 10 is a sta- 35 tionary tube 13 on which is slidably mounted one arm of a U-shaped tube 1 L. Another shaped tube 15 terminating at one end in a bell or flare 16 is fixedly mounted onthe figure 10 and is slidably engaged by one arm on the tube 13 the arm 18 will be caused to move baclr and forth therewith. Slidably mounted within the tube 13 and attached to the inside of the adjacent arm of the tube 14 is a wire 19 which is bent downwardly within the figure 10 and is slida-ble within 1 the tube 12, there being a roller 20 upon the lower end of the wire while secured to this wire and slidable in the tube 12 is a collar 21 engaged by one end of a coiled spring 22. The otherend of this coiled 195 spring bears against a top shoulder 23 pro? vided in the tube 12. Thus it will be seen that thespring 522 will thrust the roller20 downwardly where it will normally contact with the upper face of a cam 2e secured to a short shaft 25 that is journaled in a bracket 26 carried by thebottom face of the of the piano.

platform 5. A pulley 27 is secured to the lower end of this shaft 25 and when it is rotated the cam 2 will rotate therewith and will thrust the wire 19 upwardly and then allow the spring 2-2 to more the wire downwardly. In this way during the rotation of the cam a reciprocation. of the wire 19 will I be set up and the tube 14 will be reciprocated so as to simulate the action of atrombone while being, played.

Another one of the figures 1O simulates a drummer-and supports a representation of a snare drum, indicated at 28 about which are supported the jointed arms 29 of the figure. One of the legs of this figure is jointed as shown at 30 and is mounted. on and secured to a pedal 31pivotally mounted on a bracket 32. A. beater 33 is extended from the pedal and supported close to the representation of a bass drum 34;. A lever 35 is fulcrumed below the platform 5 and has one end connected to the pedal 31 by a linlr 36 while the other end of the lever extends under a: cam 37 rotatable with a pulley 38 journaled under the platform 5 as shown in Figure 3. Thus it will be seen that when the pulley is rotated the lever 35 will be oscillated, causing the pedal 31 to swing upwardly and downwardly and produce an action simulating the beating of the drum 34. The figure 10 simulating a pianist has a vertical shaft 39 journaled therein and-in the adjacent pedestal or. support 9, there being; a pulley 40 at the lower end of this shaft while the upper end has a cam 41 on which rests the intermediate or crank portion 42 of a transverse shaft 43. Jointed arms i l extend from the ends of the shaft and the free ends of these arms, representing the hand portions, are adapted to rest on the representation of the keyboard Thus it will be seen that when the pulley 4.0 and the shaft 39' are rotated the crank portion '42 will be moved upwardly and downwardly by the cam 41, causing a. slight vertical oscillation of the arms 14 simulating the movement of the arms of a piano player.

The figure 10 simulating a cello player has the representation of a cello supported in front thereof, as indicated at 45. A shaft a6 is journaled in this figure and extends through the supporting pedestal 9 thereof, there being a pulley 47 at the lower end of the shaft while the upper end is provided with a crank disk 48. A pitman 49 connects this disk to the upper arm of a lever 50 which leverrepresents the upper portion of the arm of the performer. A jointed extension 51 is provided on the arm, the hand portion 52 thereof carrying a bow 53 whichrests on the cello 45. Thus it will be seen that when the shaft at; is ro tated the lever 50 will be oscillated and cause the how 53 to reciprocate upon the cello. The figure 10 representing a violinist is similar to the one representing a cello player with the exception of a. violin, indicated at 54: is held higher than is the cello 45. The operation of this structure, however, is the same as that described in connection with the cello.

The shaft ethereinbefore referred to has a pulley 55 on the upper portion thereof and this pulley drives a belt 56 which extends continuously under the platform 5 and engages all of the pulleys 27, 38, i0 and 4,27. Thus it will be seen that after a record has been placed on the table 2 and said table set in motion, the movable parts of all of the figures will be operated so as to simulate the motions of an orchestra. It is to be understood that any one of the figures can be removed when desired. For example if the record is a reproduction of a trombone solo all of the figures should be removed except that of the trombone player. If the record is areproduction of a cello. all of the performers except the cello player are to be removed. Thisremoral is easily effected by slipping the pulley off of the lower end of the shaft belonging to the figure and then lifting the figure from the platform 5.

What is claimed is The combination with a platform and a figure thereon simulating an orchestra performer, of a tube extending from the mouth portion of the figure, a U-shaped tube slidable thereon, a stationary tube slidahly engaged by the U-shaped tube, a jointed member upon the figure simulating an arm and connected at one end to the U-shaped tube, a flexible reciprocating element connected to the U-shaped tube and slidable within the tube extending from the mouth portion, a guide tube extending downwardly within thefigure and through which the flexible reciprocating element extends, a cam mounted for rotation, means on the flexible element for engaging the cam, and a spring for holding said means pressed against the cam, and means for rotating the cam to reciprocate the flexible element and U-shaped tubular member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WILLIAM HALL.

Witnesses: I y

MATILDA M HALL, STANLEY MnnmRoTH. 

